In one of the first scenes of the recent ‘Background Noise’ by Noah Baumbach, a reflection is made on the obsession of American action cinema with turn the car accident into a moment of visual and aural ecstasy, instead of treating it like the tragedy that it really is. Something that connects it in an unexpected way with the series ‘I don’t like to drive’ by Borja Cobeaga, where he uses the car accidents from the program ‘La segunda oportunidad’ to reflect the emotional state of the protagonist.
Two such different fictions manage to reflect the complex relationship of the audiovisual with catastrophic driving. That ineffable sensation that images of vehicles rolling unnaturally and loose parts flying through the air can cause. To twist everything even more, on Amazon Prime Video they have uploaded today one of David Cronenberg’s best films that is also linked to the subject: ‘Crash’.
flesh and metal
Also available on Filmin, the Canadian adaptation of JG Ballard’s work twists the reflections he makes on the new flesh through a very psychological and twisted thriller about nailed metal fetishes. In a society numbed by getting used to the barrage of stimuli, a man finds a new pleasurable sensation and attraction after being involved in a car accident with another female driver.
The painful recovery seems like a small toll to pay for a new and exciting sensation, as well as the entrance to a new world as dark as it is dangerous. A twisted journey through the mind hungry for real emotions even if they put it in danger, told with the pulse of the erotic thriller duly enhanced by the narrative pulse of a Cronenberg who knows how to put the adequate notes of melodrama among so much perversion.
THE Canadian does not need to resort to the supernatural to explore the terrors of the body and the new flesh that characterize him so much. ‘Crash’ is a work capable of creating discomfort from the exploration of the sexual impulse derived from the clash of metal, from healing wounds. Even from a cold appearance, that hot blood that load of tension, perversion, energy and vitality this incredible film.
‘Crash’: a very lively perversion
Not only does it connect well with other explorations of physical and mental transformation that characterizes Cronenberg’s filmography, but the author offers moments of interesting reflection on the obsession with fallen heroes like James Dean. The filmmaker threads the needle well with which he is going to pierce that glorification of the accident in pop culture that people like Andy Warhol also had the audacity to point out.
Perhaps it may sound exaggerated to talk about his best film here, taking into account how iconic ‘Videodrome’ or ‘The Fly’ or the bizarre audacity of ‘Naked Lunch’ are. But ‘Crash’ offers a fully mature author in his way of narrating and filming that, in addition, he is capable of maintaining the restlessness and energy of his youth without ceasing to think about the same thing.
A very complete film, as alive in its images as in its reflections that is exciting to watch at all levels. More than 25 years later, it is still a fascinating and dark object of desire worth celebrating.